If you are writing on any sort of controversial topic, you are writing an argument essay.An argument essay is one that attempts to convince your reader that your opinion is correct and/or to change your reader's mind about a particular issue.The two model essays below discuss the same subject: capital punishment.While reading them, you can see how the writers' opinions differ from each other.
Model Essay One
Arguments against Capital Punishment
Capital punishment, or death penalty, has been used since the beginning of human existence.Fortunately, in this century the number of people executed has been decreasing.In the 1930s, 1, 667 people were executed, compared to 717 in the 1950s.Since 1977, only 47 people have been executed.Although a majority of Americans advocate keeping the death penalty, it should not be applied any longer because it is ethically unacceptable, socially unpractical, and financially unbearable.
The first reason why we should abolish capital punishment is that it is ethically unacceptable.“Thou shalt not kill”is the fifth commandment (戒律) that was given to us by God.An individual has no right to kill, no matter what another person has done.Only God can create, and God should be the only one to destroy.
The second reason we should not have capital punishment is that it has failed in its purpose.Many supporters of the death penalty argue that it is a strong deterrent (威慑) to people who could be criminals.They use the theory that a person will weigh the amount of the reward to be gained from killing someone against the pain of the punishment.If the punishment is great enough, they reason, the person will not commit the crime.However, this is a false argument because most people who commit violent crimes are not rational at the time.A study by Dr.Gordon Grisby of the University of Florida showed that 75 percent of the males and more than 90 percent of the females who committed violent crimes were under the influence of alcohol or drugs and not rational at the time.
The final reason we should do away with capital punishment is that it costs more than a life sentence.Most people think it is cheaper to execute a criminal than it is to supply him or her with room, clothing and food, but they are wrong.The death penalty is a very expensive practice, consisting of the long, drawn-out process of jury selection, extended trials, maintenance (生活费用) of prisoners on death row, and the appeals process.It cost the State of Utah nearly a million dollars to execute Gary Gilmore.
To sum up, capital punishment is by no means the best method to deal with a person who has committed murder.Since capital punishment has not functioned as well as expected, it should be banned as quickly as possible.We will find soon that we would be better off without this ineffective law than with it.Meanwhile, more reasonable laws should be explored as alternative ways to penalize the criminals.
Model Essay Two
A“Yes”for Capital Punishment
Capital punishment is punishment by death, and it is usually given to those who are guilty of the most violent crimes.However, since capital punishment has been used less frequently in the United States in the past few decades, only few convicted (被定罪的) murderers have been executed.As a consequence, there has been a terrible increase in crimes in recent years.This proves that capital punishment should be used more often because it can reduce serious crimes, show our determination to fight against injustice, and protect innocent people.
Some people argue that capital punishment does not deter crime.This is not true.Many people commit serious crimes because they know that the law will not be enforced as it once was.They know that they can get a good lawyer to defend them, or they can plead (以……为由进行辩护) insanity, or they feel they can get out of jail early either on probation (缓刑) or for good behavior.If capital punishment could be enforced more often, people would know that if they were found guilty of serious crimes such as murder, they would be sentenced to death.Although this is not a perfect way to control all crimes, it is an effective method to control some of the most serious ones.
Others claim that capital punishment is immoral, but they should know that murder and rape are also immoral.The law cannot be totally moral when criminals are not moral.As Walter Berns wrote in For Capital Punishment: Crime and the Morality of the Death Penalty , “The real issue is whether justice permits or even requires the death penalty.I am aware that it is a terrible punishment, but there are terrible crimes and terrible criminals.”We simply can not allow criminals to take advantage of the law, but instead must stand up to them sternly.
The last argument against capital punishment is that it is too expensive.However, the United States spends millions of dollars on all types of programs that do not always benefit its people, so why should it not spend money on enforcing capital punishment? It is a potential threat to innocent people to have murderers and rapists in the streets.If convicted murderers were executed, they would definitely not be able to kill again.This is the least that can be done to protect the innocent.The States should realize the significance of capital punishment and enforce it.
In conclusion, capital punishment is an effective deterrent to crime.If we do not take the life of those who murder their fellow men, the general public will get the message that our society cares little about human life.In order to ensure everyone's safety, please vote“yes”for capital punishment.
Now, let's read two argument essays written by two different Chinese students on the essay topic below.
In North America, a new law may be passed that eliminates the compulsory retirement age so that older people wishing to continue working may do so.Do you think China should also adopt a similar policy?
Model Essay One
A“Yes”for Compulsory Retirement Policy
Different countries have different policies about retirement age, but most employees are required to retire when they are reaching a certain age.In North America, however, a new law may be passed that eliminates the compulsory retirement age so that anybody who wishes to continue working may do so.Although this law may be a good one to North Americans, similar legislation should not be implemented in China in consideration of limited job opportunities, young people's development, and the concern for the health of old people.
The first reason China should not adopt such a law is that compulsory retirement age policy helps to lower the unemployment rate.China has about over 1.3 billion people, so it is extremely hard for our government to provide every citizen with a permanent job.If old people do not retire at the compulsory age, more young people may wander on the streets, resulting in potential social insecurity some day.
The second reason China should not accept such a law is that young people cannot advance in their careers if old people fill the jobs at the top.Although some old people have rich working experience, the knowledge they have may not suit the fast development in modern society.Many old people tend to be satisfied with what they have achieved, and do not want to have any changes.In contrast, most young people are eager to gain new knowledge and willing to apply their knowledge in their work.If old people retire, young people will have more chances to play important roles in their posts and make greater contributions to our country.
The final reason not to enforce such a law in China is that old people are usually in poor health.Opponents may claim that some old people are still energetic.But we have to admit the natural role；that is, old people are not as energetic as they used to be, or they are not as energetic as young people are.So their work efficiency can be rather low even if they continue to work.Since old people have worked for decades, they should stop working and enjoy their retirement life.For example, they can travel, play chess, write autobiography, etc..They can also help to look after their grandchildren.A happy family will enable old people to live longer.
In brief, if all Chinese people can retire at the compulsory retirement age, our country, young people, and the retirees will benefit.Whether or not China needs to change the present compulsory retirement law depends entirely on the particular situation in our own country.
Model Essay Two
Arguments against Compulsory Retirement Policy
Generally speaking, those employees who are approaching fifty years old or over tend to think about their retirement although this is a painful experience for some of them.The good news is that a new law in North America may be passed that eliminates the compulsory retirement age so that older people wishing to continue working may do so.Although the idea to eliminate compulsory retirement age will not be well received by some Chinese, especially young people, we should also adopt a similar law because old employees have rich work experience, remain productive, and help to create a more competitive job market.
Some people insist that young people cannot advance in their careers if old people fill the jobs at the top.Their idea is quite understandable, but there will be a great loss if all people obey the compulsory retirement age policy.Our country is short of outstanding professors, senior engineers, and all kinds of elites.Many old people are precious talents because they have a lot of work experience.If they are not forced to retire, their wisdom will help to create greater wealth for China.A country cannot afford to lose a large number of experienced people who can still serve their country.
Others may argue that old people are physically weak.Even if they are able to continue to work, they do not have high work efficiency.This opinion is out of date already.In modern society, a lot of equipment is controlled by computers, so people can accomplish their tasks by the click of a mouse.As a result, work efficiency is based on people's fingertips rather than on mass manual labors.Since old people can also use their fingers, the work efficiency will not be necessarily affected.
Finally, opponents may think that young people will not be able to work to their full capacity if old people still occupy the positions.But they should also know that many young people only want to make more money；they don't want to work hard.Once they find better jobs, they will make a career change.How can they work to their full capacity if they change their jobs frequently? In contrast, many old employees stick with their jobs for more than thirty years.They do the jobs that many young people do not want to do.If old employees can continue to work, they will create a more competitive situation in the job market.When young people have difficulty finding jobs, they will cherish the jobs they can find.
To summarize, if people can work as long as they want, the benefits will outnumber the drawbacks.China is open to the outside world.If we can borrow some good ideas from abroad and put them into practice, future will see a more prosperous China.Thus, a similar law should also be made in our country.
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To write a well-organized argument essay, you should follow the guidelines below.
1.After you find a controversial topic, the first step in planning an argument is to list the points you wish to make.Some of them may be facts, and some of them may be opinions.Both facts and opinions are used in an argument because a convincing argument is one based on an opinion that can be supported by evidence such as facts, examples, and statistics.Take the controversial topic of compulsory retirement age for example.This issue is whether or not people should retire at a certain age.The proponents (those in favor of this law) say“Yes”and must present their solid evidence；the opponents (those against this law) say“No”and must also give their logical reasoning.
2.Take a side of a controversial topic in your argument essay.Once you have decided upon your position, all your supporting arguments must be designed to convince your reader of your personal opinion.If you only list the advantages of an issue and then list the disadvantages of it, you are not writing an argument essay.
3.Anticipate opposing opinions even if you reject them.To be convincing, you must be aware of your opponent's opinions before you organize your essay to argue against them.If you do not include opposing opinions in your essay, your reader might think either that you have not explored the controversial topic thoroughly, or that you are only presenting one-sided propaganda, afraid to admit your opponent's opinions.Therefore, while you are brainstorming to gather your opinions on a controversial topic, you should also write down as many opposing opinions as you can think of.
4.Organize a good argument in a body paragraph.A good body paragraph for an argument may take one of the three forms:
1) First state your opinion as the topic sentence, and then provide adequate evidence to support it.Read the following paragraph:
People over 65 should not be allowed to drive.By that age, most people's vision and hearing have become worse；thus, they cannot see cars and traffic signs as well as they could in their youth.In addition, they have slower reaction time.This is particularly problematic because while driving one must be constantly on the alert to the need to stop or swerve (转向) suddenly to avoid a collision.These physical and mental impairments (减弱) lead to a lot of accidents.
2) State your opinion as the topic sentence, and then state your opponent's opinion, followed by your refutation.Read the following paragraph:
People over 65 should be allowed to drive.Many people claim that senior citizens are a major hazard (危险) on the road because their abilities to see, hear, and react are not as sharp as they used to be.The fact is that the elderly simply do not drive as much as those in other age groups；therefore, the actual number of accidents in this age group is the lowest among all the age groups.Moreover, just because they are slow in reaction time, they are always careful drivers.So they are less likely to be a major hazard on the road.
3) Present your opponent's opinion in the topic sentence, and then state your refutation.Read the following paragraph:
Some believe campaign for U.S.president should be shorter.I disagree.A long campaign is an endurance contest.It gives the candidates a chance to show their strengths and forces them to overcome their weaknesses.The close examination makes it much less likely that the voters will accidentally choose an unqualified candidate to be their leader.
Although there are three methods to organize a good argument in a body paragraph, the last two methods are often preferable to the first one.The simple reason is that if you only use the first method, your argument essay may turn out to be a causal analysis essay.
5.Useful expressions you need to know.
1) To introduce your personal opinion, you can choose one of the following expressions:
I thoroughly (dis) approve of…
I completely (dis) agree with…
I think/believe/maintain that…
I am sure/certain that…
I support/reject the idea that…
In my opinion, …
From my point of view, …
Clearly, …
Undoubtedly, …
It is clear that…
2) To anticipate opposing opinions, you can choose one of the following expressions:
Some people argue/say/assert/believe/claim that…
Opponents of this position argue that…
Critics of this position point out that…
Another argument against______ is that…
At this point, one may wonder…
Certain objections must, of course, be considered.
3) To refute your opponent's opinions, you can choose one of the following expressions:
It's irresponsible to support the idea that…
There may be another explanation for this fact.
Serious doubts can be raised against this.
This is a nice idea, but it's not true.
These views are open to debate.
This is nonsense.
As a matter of fact, …
In fact, …
The fact is…
Actually, …
This is unlikely because…
This is doubtful.
However, …
But, …
Practice 5-5-1
Choose one of the controversial topics, and write an“although-because”thesis statement.Below is an example.
Step 1.Read the topic below and make a list of arguments from both sides of the chosen topic；that is, brainstorm to gather your opinions about that issue, and then anticipate opposing opinions.
Topic: Should euthanasia (or: mercy killing) be applied in China?
Pros
Cons
a. it's painless and voluntary
a. mercy killing is killing
b. lighten the heavy financialburden of the country
b. encourage a doctor to be irresponsible
c. alleviate the mental pain of thepatient's relatives
c. make a patient fall into despair
d. high medical cost
d. an excuse of a murderer
e. relieve the pain of the patient
e. the patient has no chance to recover
f. the patient wants to die
f. it's inhuman to kill
g. it's inhuman for us to see a patient suffer endlessly
g. the patient does not want to die
Step 2.Take a side of that issue, and write an“although-because”thesis statement according to the information you have gathered from the list of arguments.If you think that euthanasia should be applied in China, your thesis statement may look something like this:
Although euthanasia sounds inhumane, it should be applied because it can help lighten the heavy financial burden of the country, alleviate the mental pain of the patient's relatives, and relieve the pain of the patient.
If you think that euthanasia should not be applied in China, your thesis statement may look something like this:
Although euthanasia is painless and voluntary, it should be banned because it encourages doctors to be irresponsible, makes a patient fall into despair, and serves someone as an excuse for murder.
Note: An“although-because”sentence is not the only way to write your thesis statement；however, it can serve as a guide, allowing your reader to see both your opponent's opinions and your own.
Answers are provided only for the first controversial topic as suggestions.
1.Money is (is not) the only thing that people are interested in today.
2.College students should (should not) be allowed to rent rooms off campus.
3.Employees should (should not) be allowed to moonlight (从事第二职业).
Practice 5-5-2
Read the following situation:
The village of Lakota has recently been devastated by a tidal wave (海啸) caused by an earthquake, which struck just off the coast of the village.One hundred and three people are missing or dead, four hundred and sixty homes were completely destroyed and thirty-five thousand homes are still, three weeks later, without electricity.The inhabitants who lost their homes are now living in a temporary camp on the outskirts of the village.The authorities are refusing to rebuild the village and want to relocate the inhabitants on another island, but the villagers are refusing to leave.
Think of three reasons in support of the inhabitants who want to stay in their village and three reasons in support of the authorities who want the villagers to move to another island.Answers are provided only as suggestions.
The inhabitants should stay in their village:
A.______________________________
B.______________________________
C.______________________________
The inhabitants should move to another island:
A.______________________________
B.______________________________
C.______________________________
Practice 5-5-3
Read each of the following essay topics, and think of the reasons in support of each essay topic (“pros”) and the reasons against it (“cons”). Supply a minimum of three reasons on both sides.Answers are provided only for the first two essay topics.
1.Lectures (讲座式教学) are (are not) an effective method of teaching.
2.Beauty contests should (should not) be held in China.
3.Students should (should not) have a say (发言权) in the hiring and firing of teachers.
4.Behind every successful man, there is a woman.
5.The Olympic Games should (should not) be held at a permanent site.
Practice 5-5-4
The following essay entitled The Right to Die has neither the introductory paragraph nor the concluding paragraph.Read the three body paragraphs carefully, and then write an appropriate introductory paragraph and a concluding paragraph for this essay.Answers are provided only as suggestions.
The Right to Die
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
The first and the most important reason to carry out mercy killing is that a terminally-ill patient has no hope of recovering.Opponents may argue that a person should live with dignity, and nobody can deprive another person of his right to live.However, these people neglect the fact that a terminally-ill patient can never lead a normal life because he needs a life-support machine to breathe and a feeding tube to eat.A terminally-ill patient is more dead than alive and will never get well again.No one can see such a life as a life with dignity.
The second reason is that the family members of the patient suffer.Although nurses can give terminally-ill patients some medical care, family members must additionally spend considerable amount of time caring for the special needs of their loved ones.For example, when the patient is conscious, they need to be interacting with him by talking to and touching him.Even if the patient is in a coma, they also have to be present with the patient.So, it is unbearable to expect the whole family to watch the patient lying in a hospital bed in great pain, unable to do anything for him.
The final reason is that medical treatment is too expensive.Although doctors should try their best to save a patient's life regardless of the high medical costs, it is really a waste to spend so much money on a patient whose condition will never improve.For instance, the cost of a ward (病房) can be as much as five hundred dollars per day and probably even more.The costs of medicines and medical tests are also quite high.The family of the patient is usually responsible for these expenses；therefore, the heavy financial cost is a burden the family must bear for a long time into the future.
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
Practice 5-5-5
Below are two sets of topic sentences from the controversial essay topic The City Zoo Should (Should Not) Be Relocated to the Rural Area.Take a side of the issue after you read the two conflicting essay topics, and then support each of the three topic sentences with adequate evidence, such as facts, examples, and/or statistics.Answers will vary.
Topic one:
The City Zoo Should Be Relocated to the Rural Area
First, traffic jams are a constant headache around the City Zoo during weekends and holidays._________________________________
Second, the new zoo can provide its animals with better living conditions._________________________________
Finally, construction and maintenance of the new zoo will help create many job opportunities for the locals._________________________________